Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he and his team are ‘independent thinkers’ following their decision to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall Draft pick just weeks after handing Kirk Cousins a $100 million contract in free agency.
The move stunned fans, rivals and the media, as the Falcons went against the conventional wisdom that Penix Jr. was not worthy of a top 10 pick and ran the risk of unsettling their marquee free agent signing.
But as the two QBs get ready for the start of the preseason, Blank has doubled down on the thought process that saw his team double dip at the quarterback position this spring.
"Thank heavens we don't always listen to the league," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And thank heavens we don't always listen to the media. And thank heavens we don't always do what everybody else thinks we should be doing. We're actually very independent thinkers."
The signing of Cousins from the Vikings came after the 35-year-old suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last year, but Blank says his recovery is all going to plan and he expects him to begin the 2024 campaign as the franchise’s starting QB.
"Kirk Cousins is our franchise quarterback, is our starting quarterback and he seems to be doing great from a medical standpoint," Blank added. "His attitude, his leadership, culturally, personally, with our players, with the coaching staff, has been nothing short of outstanding. So, we couldn't be happier with that situation."
Blank also offered more insight into the selection of Penix Jr., insisting that he did not want to find his team without a top-tier QB, just as they had since their last franchise quarterback moved on.
"We've been through a situation, post-Matt Ryan, when we're seeing that movie when we didn't have a franchise quarterback," he noted. "We didn't want to repeat that again. I mean, I certainly didn't. I'm super sensitive to all forms of succession planning. After 60-odd years of business, in any business, that's critical.
“At the key position, the quarterback position in the NFL, that's very important. So, just listening to our coaching staff and our personnel department, they really made the decision. Michael was going to be available at number eight. They saw an extraordinary talent."
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